Folding curtain foe automobiles



F. AQDUNHAM. FOLDING CURTAIN FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I5, 1921- Z 9| 11.! ,E 2% awn UH w d2 m m 3 o 14 F. A. DUNHAM. FOLDING cum/am FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I5, I92

' Patented Aug-22, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Junie/n UNITED a STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. DUNHA'M, 0F OWATONNA, MI NNESOTA.

FOLDING CURTAIN FOR AUTOMOBILES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK A. DUNnAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at ()watonna, in the county of Steele and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Curtains for Automobiles; and I do hereby de clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

i This invention relates to a vehicle curtain and particularly to such a curtain designed which sections are permanently supported from the sides of the vehicle top and are thus .always in' convenient position for operative placement. u v

It is another objectof the invention to provide the sections of curtain and so supportfthe same that the curtains can be .folded laterally into comparatively small These and other objects and advantages" ofthe invention will be apparent' f 'romthe followingdescription made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and in which 1 Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of the upper part of an automobile, showing the curtains applied thereto; A

Fig. 2 is an inside view in-elevation of the center section of the curtain;

line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a;horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 1-4'of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inside of the endsection ofthe curtain;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the upper portion of a section of the curtain in folded position; i i

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the supporting means for the curtain sections;

Fig. 8 is a section of a modification; and

Fig. 9 is likewise a view of a modification.

. Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown the upper portion of an automobile body and top' having at one side thereof three curtain sections a, b and c. The top of the automobile is customarily providedwith a frame member or bow l and the front section of curtain, as shown in Fig. 5, is sup ported upon 'a' rod or track member 2, which is secured at its ends in the bow member 1. The section a of the curtainis divided by vertical members 3 extending in spaced rela tion from top to bottom of the same, which members can be entirely enclosed in the curtain, as shown, or may be secured only at spaced points thereto. Certain of the members 3 have swiveled thereto, at their upper portion, a bifurcated pulley bracket .4 in

which is journaled a grooved pulley 5 adapt-- ed to be supported by and run on the member 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the track portion of" the member 2 is spaced sufficiently from the how 1 to enable the pulley to be swung laterally about the member 2 between the same and the bow. The center section b of the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 22, 1922, I Application filed April 15, 1921. Serial No. 461,521.

curtain'is similarly supported upon a t k 21' member andthissection is also provided with vertical members 3, certaln ones of which, as shown, in Flgs. 1 and 2, are equippedwiththe brackets 4 and pulleys 5. The

lower ends of certaino'f the members 3 are also equipped with hook members 6 adapted toengage over suitable button or 'staple'members 7 secured to the automobile doors or body. i

The sections of curtain have fastened thereto at the top. and bottom of'their inner" sides small channel-shaped members 8. These members are in sections extending between the members 3, and when the curtains are extended in flat position, one end of the members 8 engages in a somewhat enlarged adjacent end of the other member 8, as .shown in F gs. 2 and 5, and these'members Fig. 3 is a vertical section-takenon the,

thus act to hold the curtain firmly in extended or flat position. The front section of of fastening member, preferably of loop shape, as shown in Fig. 5, at its top and bottom edg'es'to engage button or other fasthe ,15

tening inembers on thevehicle top and wind shield frame. The frontredgeso'f the-hen tral section I) and rear section corthe curtain are formed to contain a' st-ifin ing member 9 comprlslng separated sections connected hy as small. coiled tension spring 10.

The member 9 is also provicled at its lower end with a hook 6 to engage one of the fastening rne nbers 7. The'rearh' nember; 3.0f he rqn wtiehwnd 3 f he em r tion 6 areprovided with hook catch members 11,

adapted; t9 hoqlq into siaitable. openings v inthe adjacent sectioned; H to engnge around. mem er We hqldr h e en n l lswl t r n A gshown iit Figfi, the front end oflthe, inernber l fastened to the how 1; by a, nut 1 2 that, screws r onto the end oi? e with mem er end us; m a! ta le:@- nnen i n or eids hdhe u p front edge: ofy'the rear] section, 0 1s perinm .n tlyl ndis iv lly ww iw hehQ y."

ter

10911: hhd en rm be m nd hiwe iw r.

0f ee-WW iseni'pv dwi h; a-ve ti al y ext Ldi im mb "3-. uhswht 11y ntw e llwr mhd-isremoveh y s ene eh h n; Oh h sv mh mndi s pper; rear r si h h wmemberthifis seem -f ld.inwdiyr i diwed n? F61 mhersi w eh wpre -with he l 85 rp ls ysifit mhre ha llk lsevhe es h d tt QW 1f- Q n rs hivhrmemh rs f. we ns e of hh ehwl b dy 1 c Th e e t hhs ote r aim are. r di wt F The;

ardly to form the po nts s ibllsl d he me fiPi- &-L w11ng v atera ynd pwardly, ind wted 1 E s r ds the. chum an eih uita r e d ill e vsh t-ls; en nd hi t wnhem hn the same. It will benotedzthetith e center seenew l feldk hrwerdl n ear ec m v wilhfo d i l werd y, a d h h h e ha sw n unwa yt hnd-- e-l nn r d ee the rwsv w hem m mber, 1% i i h. sth ari v t hdsh w het p than i t hehijlefiire tly. e en rea t, he front en cll qf' the traclg me nher fl lSailr v; propertwsmn andwill be preventedofronl; rattling il f desilged smell; rodsi or wire athverlmnhesnds m ny 1be. used .fopthe channel n enn bersgi, Wl'ijchmembers can; .be. provided w th v he r ins l J we e he made e t h erg-l h i h ll v f wt en revfine n at ri nd stedi 'to in any From the above description, it is seen that applicant hasyprovidedi a simple structure of curtain which enables the curtains to be carriecl in 'the top 'oi a vehicle where they willnormally be out of sight from the enterior, ofrthetsame, but from WhlClypQsitlQI}, 1

they'cz n be quickly dropped and arranged in operative p'ositiodalong the sides of the vehicle. The lower edges of the curtains, can a1 ,beconvenientl'ytend"quicklyg'de-r tached a from, the, doors and? willfswing inwardl to allow ui person to enter. orleaye the. ve icle, mF

wnwardly, he. same W ll i have ihd can be placed nd r. ension when he u e 8 a; form o f fthe track ZY-is shown which canQbe Inadeof "spring material; By havingsaid tra ck' pass] over the top ofsaid bow member 1} as shownfendflthen bent siliencyd With-this formiof track the snrne n are d wn and ny; t nd ncy of h j p i orattle avoided: r p I11 Fig, ,9fthe mem rs 8 are shown oshfav- 111g connected; thereto. the ends of" coil" p i gs 13', the hi s whi re pos so v'l' l fi i to, he placed underg tensi 7 7 when h h 1r h' 1.. s, ldhd o that f the lat: ter tends to open up int0 flat' bsi about thememb r he p ings. win

n. s. t i s le sed, .or o hetth u ta n" l el d'fi d dt ml hhjr le s d ires r ods re u di' bltft-h m be s; 8, springs could bev formed inte rally therehhh h 'mfir ly h ih sr he ht he l flf" ing line of the curtain.

h stening. of he u ta n, o; h 160i of the autoiflnobilefrnight also beconnected t0 1 5 51 b! tmh, hat em h y latch per te the urtainrjwijl eg .105

leased 2 from thjeydoor.

t Wi li ls h y tdr to d? we x ul r ha es may be ade. ini' he'i. o g i nd a gem nt of he r d ic wi hout depar-tin t-h e scope ofapplicanfis invert- QL Wiic-h, gen al y ed, ohsti tss h'i hhi matter shown" anddscribdhndgset fortlr in he appen ed im claimed is 1. Afvehicle c'mthil structure heving in mbinatio he miv gid yjj' h red" he .,v 9l, sp" nd. xt dingfl g tudih lv; he of hdia nt toc hei dw r e e t hrehfi a curtain havingspziced'vertioa l inenibers i secured thereto with a pulley swivelly qu te 1. th pper. d 'o i member and adaptedto be supported by-end rurio'n rshm nt on d m eu 2 A" vehicle structure hpying in1 combing tiohh r s cur ditqt e. vehi l x en ow r d e:

ing longitudinally alongthe tical v, p chrl m del ,f hifd Z thi d.

xten gw hhy t essthes mey rteih ones of dIrOQSj eYi JPulley sw v lbr mounted thereto at their upper ends, said pulleys being movable on and supported by the first mentioned member.

3. A vehicle curtain structure having in combination a longitudinally rigid but transversely resilient track member secured to the vehicle top, spaced curtain supporting means mounted for movement thereon, and fastening means at one end of said curtain supporting means adapted to place said sprin track under tension.

4. 2 vehicle curtain structure comprising a curtain arranged in vertically extending zones, and adapted to fold on vertical lines defining said zones, stifiening means extending along the horizontal edges of said ourtains, and spring means connected to said stifi'ening means acting to maintain the curtain in fiat or unfolded position.

5. A vehicle curtain structure comprising acurtain constructed with vertically extending divisions and adapted to fold on vertical lines defining said divisions, reinforcing means extending along the borders of said divisions, and spring means at the folding points of said divisions placing the same under a tension to move about their folding axes.

6. A vehicle curtain structure having in combination a curtain constructed with a plurality of divisions, vertical stiffening means between and defining the divisions, a horizontal member adjacent to and secured to the vehicle top, supporting means forthe curtain secured to the top of certain of said stiffening members and engaging said horizontal member, the intermediate stiffeners being free at their upper ends, whereby the curtain can be folded inwardly about the latter stiffening members and the supporting means brought together on the horizontal member.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6, and horizontal engaging stiffening members at the top and bottom of said divisions.

In testimong whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

FRANK A. DUNHAM. Witnesses E. I. Casey, MARY C. ANNETT. 

